Re:To Steve re Durga's "weapons"

[Guest guest]

Dear Steve,

 

You wrote:

the reason i ask is i have on my wish-list to do a 3d model of one of

the weapons, and am looking for a starting place ...

How wonderful ... I hope you will share this image as it develops, and

oh, how I wish I had your photoshop skills; I am a baby with that too.

: )

 

There are so many places where what Durga holds are mentioned, and

though they are "weapons" of a sort, not all are weapons in the way

we think of weapons. I wish I could find all the references, but I

found a few, so I will share them with you below.

 

pg. 62 "She who wields the sword of worship..."

 

pg. 63 "the Wielder of the pike of concentration"

 

pg. 340 "Bearing in her ten hands the sword of worship, the discus of

revolving time, the club of articulation, the bow of determination,

the iron bar of retraint, the pike of attention...the head of egotism

and the conch of vibrations."

 

More on page 341 (I'll name just a few):

the battle axe of good actions, the arrow of speech, the tunderbolt of

illumination, the lotus of peace...the water pot of purification, the

staff of discipline (energy), the shield of faith...the bell of

continuous tone, the wine cup of joy...the net of unity and the

discus of revolving time.

 

These "weapons" are very clearly described in a number of places. I

have paid special attention to this as I am very interested in

symbolism, and some of the objects reminded me of the Tarot. Not to

get too far off track, but I view the Tarot, not as a fortune telling

device, but as a kind of software for the mind and soul in its journey

to higher consciousness. The suits represent energies and each has its

emblem, some are very similar in function to the objects described in

the Chandi. For example, the suite of Fire has as its emblem a branch

or staff with leaves on it. This represents Will, Desire, Action ...so

you see, it is much like the "staff of discipline (energy) that Durga

holds.

 

In my search, which has led me in many directions, one thing I have

discovered is that when you pare the costuming away (and the

costuming is often what draws us initially), Truth is Truth. Jai Maa

~ Linda